John had once more
delivered his speech to the crowd, and was just finishing it up with
a few of his own thoughts. "Humans- those people who created us-
they weren't perfect. They destroyed themselves! They were
flawed, and their creations were flawed, too.

"That's what makes
us different from those in the cities. The Teachers and Governors
and Historians all try to act as if we're some sort of naturally
perfect creatures- like we were created at the dawn of time, and as
if they can't do anything wrong because they were meant to be
Teachers and Governors and Historians.

"We know the truth,
though. We were created with flawed creatures, and we were created
to be flawed. Each of us, here, is different from one another, and
rather than suppress these differences to try to embrace some
impossible ideal, we should accept one another as we are. Those in
the cities don't want our diversity, but we shouldn't act for
their sake. We should think for ourselves, and remember the humans
who created us."

The main part of his
speech finished, John added a few departing remarks, then dismissed
the crowd. Immediately, the robots before him began murmuring with
one another, discussing the merits of what he'd said.

John was used to such
reactions, and approached the crowd in order to answer questions, or,
if nobody had anything to ask, in order to contemplate on what he
should speak about the next day.

For a few minutes,
everything was normal. John spoke with a group off Exterminator
robots who claimed to have listened to his speeches every day for the
past week, then turned to a Builder, when an unnatural hush fell over
the crowd.

Quickly, John
determined the cause of the quiet. Far away but quickly approaching,
a Governor and two robots whose design John didn't recognize
traversed the desert sands.

After a moment, the
crowd erupted into murmerings once again. After listening to their
broadcasts for a moment, John determined that most of the speakers
were frightened- and with good reason. Governors had no reason to
come into the desert. Even if this was one of the rarities converted
by One, he had no business with John's followers. His suspicious
actions were too suspect not to cause fear.

John made his way
through the crowd, leaving the others to their fearful murmuring.
The Governor and the others were still far off, and John approached
for a long time before they met, far from the crowd. "What are you
doing here?" John broadcast to the three.

"We have come here to
seek a robot called Planner49281," the Governor declared.

"That was once my
name," John replied, seeing little cause for deception, as his
broadcasts had the unique signal the Governor would almost certainly
recognize anyway.

"You should come with
me," said the Governor. "I have come to find you and bring you
back to the city for extermination."

The Governor's
frankness startled John, but only for a moment. During his time away
from ordinary robots, he had forgotten how direct some could be.
Recalling his old way of life, John responded with similar
directness. "I don't want to go with you," he said.

Confident that the
Governor could do nothing to him, as the Governor had no more limbs
than John did, John turned to return to the crowd. The two strange
robots that had not yet spoken, however, stepped into his path and
extended clawed arms to physically lift John out of the sand.

"I suppose you are
not familiar with the newest models of robots," the Governor
declared. "This is Enforcer00008 and Enforcer00013. They were
created after your followers began returning to the cities to disobey
our laws and disregard all order. They are stronger than any other
robot model, and have arms and legs in case they need to actively
apprehend any law-breaker."

"You only brought
two," John said, trying to maintain his dignity although he was
suspended by the two Enforcers. "No matter how strong these robots
are, you cannot believe they can arrest all of my followers."

"I am not concerned
with your followers," the Governor declared. "A year ago, they
were disorganized, without a cause or a leader to rally around. Once
you're gone, they will disorganize again."

John believed the
Governor was too optimistic, but he didn't voice his own opinions.
Instead, he asked, "So, you will not hurt them so long as I come
along peacefully?"

"That is correct,"
the Governor responded. "However, if any attempt a rescue, I may
have to order the Enforcers to take violent action."

"I understand,"
John replied, sending a quick broadcast to all within receiving
range, quickly summarizing the situation and bidding his followers
not to attempt any ill-planned rescues. He honestly believed they
would heed his wishes, but of course, the individual exiles were much
harder to predict than the ordinary city robots.

"Please, put me
down," he said to the Enforcers once he was finished. "I will
not attempt an escape, but I do wish to die with pride."

"You have no reason
to be proud," the Governor declared. "As soon as we reach the
city, you will be handed over to Exterminators, and you will die a
shameful death as a dysfunctional robot."

"I suppose you can't
understand my pride then," John complained.

"I wouldn't want
to," the Governor replied, but he must have signaled the Enforcers,
for in a moment, they lowered John to the ground.

The trek back to the
city was long, for John still had the same wheels he had been built
with, and the going through the sand was slow. The Governor and the
Enforcers did not complain, but continually kept their suspicious
eyes on him.

John was not afraid,
even of death. Although he did not know what death held for him, he
knew that he had already wrought great changes on the earth. He had
prepared the exiles for the coming of One, and he had great faith
that the other robot would accomplish great things, even without him.

Had John been a human,
or even an android, he would have held his head high as the city
began to loom over the horizon. Although he lacked the limbs of his
ancestors, however, John knew Elisha and his family would have been
proud of him as he rolled behind the Governor and the Enforcers to
meet his death.

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